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| Special Features of the Concentration |
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The applied physics curriculum presents the foundation theories of the physical world: mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, optics and solid state. Students use these models in two computational courses and in their theses where they construct simulations of physical systems, analyze physical systems or design smart sensors, and then display the results of these efforts by using state of the art techniques in computer graphics. This emphasis on fundamental concepts and on computational techniques of modeling and simulation is complemented by the experimental procedures that undergird current practice in data acquisition.As a result, students experience the entire range of effective problem-solving practices: data acquisition and data storage, and data analysis based on the fundamental physical models and graphical display of the results of the analysis. For students with special interests and with established backgrounds in physics or engineering, the curriculum offers a versatility that allows students, in concert with their faculty advisers, to tailor graduate programs to suit their own professional goals by combining CNU courses with the offerings at the Virginia Consortium of Engineering and Science Universities (VCES).
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| Academic Prerequisites |
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All applicants should have completed a three-semester sequence in physics including modern physics and at least two labs; a five-semester sequence in mathematics including calculus, matrix methods and differential equations; programming including data structures; and a course with a lab in circuit analysis. It is assumed that these courses are at least at the level of the following texts: Serway, Classical and Modern Physics; Anton, Calculus;Williams, Linear Algebra with Applications; Boyce and DiPrima, Ordinary Differential Equations; Headington and Riley, Data Abstraction and Structures Using C++;Aho, Hopcroft and Ullman, Data Structures; Hayt and Kemmerly, Circuit Theory.
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| Program of Study (30-36 Credits) |
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Core Courses (12 credits)
- PHYS 501 Models of Dynamical Systems (3)
- PHYS 503 Data Acquisition and Instrumentation (3)
- PHYS 504 Electromagnetic Theory (3)
- PHYS 541 Modeling and Simulation (3)
Concentration Courses (12 credits)
Select any four courses from the following list:
- PHYS 502 Quantum Physics (3)
- PHYS 506 Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (3)
- PHYS 531 Optical Physics (3)
- PHYS 634 Solid State Materials and Devices (3)
- MATH 580 Advanced Numerical Analysis (3)
Design Course (Thesis Preparation) and Thesis (6 credits)
PHYS 639 Design of Solid State Systems and Sensors (3) OR
PHYS 649 Design of Integrated Modeling and Simulation Environments (3)
Students in these courses are required to attend all theses proposals and
defenses that occur during the course.
AND
PCSE 699: Thesis Research (3)
Can be taken only upon successful completion of PHYS 639 or PHYS 649 design course.Thesis may be taken in one-credit increments.
OR
Non-Thesis Option (12 credits)
12 credit hours of electives from the M.S. in Applied Physics and Computer program.
Total: 30 credits (Thesis) OR 36 credits (Non-Thesis)
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